Blood of the Circle
by Ishea
Summary: An unexpected heritage is discovered which links both past and present together. WIP


Rating: At the moment, R. May go up in later chapters … Spoilers: Yes – First three seasons or so… Pairings: B/R, W/T 

OK, Disclaimer time – I don't own Buffy, or any of the characters from the show, Joss and Co. do (don't they?).  I'm just borrowing them and promise to return them in a fully working condition later. The 'Circle' however is mine, and if it and any of my OC's seem familiar, it is purely coincidental.  

No money has been made except for that bet with my friends over which one of us would write a story first.  (If they ever bother to pay up that is.) Also, this story completely ignores (almost) everything after the end of season four and a lot before then too (no Anya). 

Lastly, ME BRITISH! Stop complaining about my spelling! It's not my fault some sucker a hundred years ago thought; "wouldn't it be a great idea to confuse everyone by sticking lots of silent 'U's all over the place!"

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**_Blood of the Circle_**

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**_Chapter I_**

**Genesis**

Mist coiled its cold fingers around the tombstones, diffusing the little light left at this advanced hour. The feeling of immense evil that filled the air caused a chill to settle in her bones, increasing her apprehension of the situation.

_Slowly she walked closer to the far end of the graveyard; where the mist had begun to solidify into a vaguely humanoid shape. After a moment, the figure began to walk towards her with an easy, self-confident stride. As it neared, she could start to make out some of the features – the slender, muscular body and the long red hair that fell haphazardly across the face. _

_The most distinguishing feature though was the eyes. Those dark green orbs held an infinitesimal depth that seemed to give an almost hypnotic power to them. Caught by the chilling gaze, she found herself unable to move, nor even to breath as the figure closed the remaining distance between them. Grasping her chin, it bought her face closer to it's own and her awareness of the world around her diminished till only those eyes remained._

_"So, this is the infamous Vampire Slayer." The voice was low and seductive, sending a shiver down her spine that was both comprised of fear and attraction. It smiled, running its free hand sensuously across her cheek, brushing back the strands of hair that had fallen there. The hand came to settle on the back of her neck. "Your destiny awaits, my child." _

_It smiled, almost gently as it forced her head back with such force that she heard the vertebrae snap…_

 Buffy Anne Summers awoke in her bed, eyes wide with fright and heart hammering as if she had just run a marathon. Sweat gleamed on her skin and caused the fabric of her nightdress to cling uncomfortably to her body. A hand flew to the back of her neck where she was almost positive she would find the bones broken.

* * * * * * * * * * 

"I'm telling you, Giles – It was way freaky! I've never had such a realistic dream in my life!" 

Giles sighed as he watched his young charge pace his living room, wondering vaguely whether or not to buy a new carpet. The poor rag he currently owned couldn't stand up too much more abuse from the Slayers shoes. "Buffy, would you please sit down." The words sounded more like a command than a question, and after a moment staring at her Watcher, she collapsed onto the couch.

"Now…you mentioned that you had had a dream…"

"More 'Scream' style nightmare. Though not quite as bad as post 'Barney the Dinosaur' nightmares. Comes in a close second though."

Giles sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose in an attempt to rid himself of the headache forming behind his eyes. He may love the Slayer as if she was his daughter, but dealing with a hyperactive teenager at three in the morning was never on his 'things-to-do-before-I -die' list. "Buffy, the dream?"

A frightened look descended over the blond as she drew her legs up towards her chest, wrapping her arms round them. Giles watched her rapidly blink back tears before she finally whispered: "I died."

The Watcher blinked, not expecting the comment. Sitting down next to Buffy he laid a hand on her shoulder and waited for her to continue.

"I didn't even fight," Her voice sounded small and had lost the energetic quality it usually held. "I… I couldn't." Turning tear filled eyes towards Giles she paused for a moment before leaning towards him for comfort. "This figure just walked up to me and… and…" She sobbed softly into the warm shoulder. "I heard it. I heard the bones in my neck break as it… It was like when I fought the Master, only worse."

At this point she gave up trying to fight against the tears, crying as she held onto Giles as if he were a lifeline before finally falling into an uneasy, exhausted sleep in her Watcher's caring embrace.

* * * * * * * * * *

Something had called to him. Sang in beautiful harmonies, and, like sailors to a siren's song, he responded.

The darkness swirled about him as he walked across the beach, the cold air biting the exposed areas of skin. Pausing he watched the black waves crash against the sand and wash up against his feet in a show of inequitable power. These same waters had eroded away mountains in far distant countries millennia ago, had sated the thirst of long dead kings and extinct breeds of animals. They had watched as many years pass as the stars and would see many more to come.

For some reason, standing amongst the ancient tides he felt comforted.

He blinked, and the hypnotic spell that the churning waters had seemed to hold over him faded. Glancing around he wondered vaguely as to what he was doing, but the thought was gone almost as soon as it was born. Turning, he followed the shoreline back towards the path that led up to the top of the cliff, noticing as he did something glittering in the moonlight.

Crouching to pick it up he saw that it was a stone pendant, the bright silver chain, free of corrosion, stirring in the pull of the tide. His fingers closed around the egg-sized rock, holding it in the dark water to cleanse it of the damp grains of sand.

The treasure was subjected to a brief scrutiny by it's finder before the chain was looped over the boy's neck and the stone come to settle on his chest, just next to his heart. 

Alexander LaVelle Harris walked back towards his home, the pendant defying the chilling elements by emitting soothing warmth into cold flesh.

* * * * * * * * * *

The morning sun's rays warmed the two girls walking down the street towards the Magic Box. The phone call they had received from Giles earlier had the lovers worried. They walked through the door of the shop and headed towards the back, where Buffy was sitting next to Riley.

"Buffy, are you alright? What with Giles calling and everything…"

"I'm fine Wills, it was just a dream." Buffy tried to give her friends a reassuring smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. 

The blond commando hugged his girlfriend tighter, and the blond responded by moving closer to her lover. She finally felt safe with her friends surrounding her and she basked in the warmth of their caring. Whilst the previous night's dream still lingered on the edges of her mind, it was finally starting to lose the frightening intensity that it had held just a few hours previously.

"Was it … it really bad?" Asked Tara, her soft voice earning a smile from Willow, who gave her hand a slight squeeze in encouragement. The more experienced witch was finally relaxing around the Scooby gang, though she still felt slightly nervous around Riley and Buffy.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. It like, totally ruined my night. I don't mind demons that I can kick into oblivion, but there should be a rule or something about them not running around my head."

"I know what you mean – That egg thing in school was crazy." Said Willow with a sympathetic smile.

"Egg thing?" Tara looked at her lover. "You never told me about that." 

Willow grinned at the blond witch and pulled her over to a couch where they both sat down. "Well, it's like this. A couple of years ago this science teacher gave us this assignment where we has to look after these eggs…"

Buffy smiled as she listened to the red heads recollection of that particular incident. 'Those were the good old days' she though. 'Everything was so much more simple then, and actually fun – when you got past the end of the world and imminent death thing. Great. I'm reminiscing. Next thing you know I'll be knitting socks and shaking my head at the antics of today's youths.' She smiled and joined in the conversation, which rapidly grew into accounts of all their unsuccessful dates, from Malcolm to Pike.

They were still talking when Giles came into the room several minutes later, dressed in his customary tweed. "Good, you're here. I was hoping you could help me with some research, we need to find out what we're dealing with here."

As the youths each picked up a book, Willow sidled up to Buffy and asked: "Where's Xander? I thought he would be here by now."

Buffy shook her head. "I don't want him involved." She said. 

Willow frowned, "Why not?"

"I don't want to see him hurt, I mean this thing is frightening me, and he's like a puppy dog, all eager to get into danger."

"If he finds out, he's not going to be happy." Responded Willow.

Buffy shrugged, "I know. But it's for the best. Riley keeps mentioning how he always gets into trouble in a fight." She thought about the number of times her friends had been hurt because of her, though Riley was trained to defend himself, Tara and Willow had their magic and for Giles the danger came with the job, but Xander had no abilities to back him up in a fight, and therefore he was most likely to be killed. 

"How about all those times he's gotten us out of trouble."

"I don't want to take that risk."

* * * * * * * * * *

Xander sat cross-legged on his bed, watching as the sunlight from the window glinted off the facets carved into the deep green stone. It entranced him and he found himself unwilling to give it up, or even to show it to anyone. He had found it, abandoned on the beach, and as the saying went – finders keepers. It was his.

As he turned it over in his hand, he wondered at how… How 'right' it felt for him to have it, almost as if it were a part of him that, until now, he never realised he was missing. It felt warm against his skin, a comforting presence by his heart.

He felt that as much as the emerald belonged to him, he belonged to it. They were as one.

**_To be continued…_**

**_(When I find the time to actually get this thing written. Some of us poor suckers have to work.)_**

If you want the next chapter any time soon, you're gonna have to inspire me to write it, so please R/R! 

This is my first Fan Fic, so please be nice!


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